Many fixed-wing aircraft comprise high-lift flight control surfaces that are deployed and/or retracted to change an amount of lift generated by a wing during some phases of flight. On some aircraft, such high-lift flight control surfaces may comprise a plurality of leading edge slats and also a plurality of trailing edge flaps. For example, a plurality of leading edge slats disposed on a same wing of a fixed-wing aircraft may be mechanically coupled to a common actuator so that they may be deployed and retracted simultaneously in unison. Similarly, a plurality of trailing edge flaps disposed on a same wing of a fixed-wing aircraft may be mechanically coupled to a common actuator so that they may be deployed and retracted simultaneously in unison.
Existing high-lift systems which comprise a plurality of flight control surfaces that can only be actuated simultaneously and in unison can limit the ability to further tailor the performance of the wings of fixed-wing aircraft during some phases of flight. Improvement is therefore desirable.